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Arrest made in 2016 arson, murder case in Phoenix

Posted at 11:40 AM, Apr 18, 2018
and last updated 2018-04-18 17:32:09-04

An arson and murder investigation from 2016 has been solved by Phoenix police. 

Phoenix Police report that on April 13, they arrested 39-year-old Christopher Ray Pisciotti for arson and murder in September of 2016.

On September 3, 2016, the Phoenix Fire Department responded to an apartment fire near 43rd Avenue and Thunderbird Road. 

While fighting the fire, they discovered the body of Michael Bourassa in the closet, where fire investigators say the fire began. 

The apartment was a lower-level unit of an apartment building with multiple occupied apartments. 

The case went cold until December of 2017 when another police agency contacted Phoenix Police and gave them information regarding a possible witness. 

RELATED: Unsolved cold cases, murders in Phoenix

The witness reportedly named Pisciotti as the suspect. 

DNA evidence was collected from Pisciotti and later matched to DNA evidence found on the victim.

Pisciotti was arrested for arson of an occupied structure and first-degree murder. 

He was given a $1 million bond.